


Dollhouse

by LadyWinnelynPooh



Series: Dollhouse trilogy. [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Eventual Romance, F/M, Ghosts, Gothic, Gothic Romance, Historical Dress, Past tragedy, Step-parents, gorgeous gowns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:53:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24188449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyWinnelynPooh/pseuds/LadyWinnelynPooh
Summary: When Lady Amelia seeks to escape from her stepfather, she marries a rake. When Lady Roberta Mckellen announces her plans to get married to her mother, she and her sister September discover a horrifying secret hidden within their family.The first in a Gothic Victorian Trilogy.
Relationships: Adella Kleinman/Thomas Berkeley, Lady Amelia de Beauvoir/Jack Allen-Frost, Lady Cadence Mercier/Sir Nathan Carroway, Lady Roberta Mckellen & Lady September Mckellen, Lady Roberta Mckellen/David Neariah, Original Female Character & Original Female Character, Original Female Character/Original Male Character, future Sir Charles Bassington/Paulina Murray, implied Darling Moreton/Cecil Dent
Series: Dollhouse trilogy. [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745764
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

All Amelia could do was sob, knowing that it would take at least two more minutes, and then it would be over.

''You never should have been born, Amelia. Do you know that you make things worse then they already were?'' her aunt questioned, hitting her again. Amelia was scared and shivering now, wishing with all her heart that her parents were here, as they would not have hurt her. She winced as her aunt hit her, wondering what she had done to make her aunt so angry. She had only been trying to teach the maid to read. Was that so wrong? How very cruel her aunt was.

Finally her aunt finished with the beatings, and swept out of the room. Amelia slowly picked herself up, and went to lock the door, then sank to the floor, sobbing.

She hated her aunt, and hated her stepfather. Cursed the day they ever came to this house.

Pulling herself up slowly from the floor, for the beatings hurt, she undid her braid of rosy blonde hair, re-braiding it, and tying it with the rose-colored satin ribbon that had fallen from it when she'd been beaten. Amelia slowly stood up, and dragged herself to the vanity table near her bed, sitting down and bursting into fresh tears again.

There was no one there to help her, no one that might even care for her as her parents did. Her beloved parents, the only people who had ever cared, were dead, and she was all alone.

She looked at the mirror, wanting to break it. And it did break, through nothing at all. She wondered if she had done that. She wondered if she could fix it. And the pieces of the mirror slowly fixed itself back together, until it looked like it had never been broken.

'' Lady Amelia?'' she heard the maid asking. ''Are you all right?''

''Yes.'' she called out. ''I'm fine, Paulina.''

She could hear retreating footsteps outside the door. When there was no more noise, she rose and went to the door, unlocking it, tiptoeing out of it, and snuck along the hallway to her aunt's room.

Her aunt( she could never call her Aunt Darling) had seated herself on an upholstered chair, and Cecil Dent, her stepfather, sat down beside her.

''What shall we do about Amelia?'' her stepfather spoke, and his voice was as always, cold and hard.

Not one shred of sympathy for her.

Her aunt replied, ''There must be some rich, boring, elderly nobleman in London who is looking for a wife. Get her engaged and married in at least a week or two.''

Cecil leant forward and kissed Darling, nodding before he did so.

''Or we could arrange for a nice little accident to befall her, so we could inherit her money.''

 _Money?_ Amelia thought, listening. _Papa really did leave me something in his will? Then I am an heiress. I must talk to his lawyer in secret. I ought to get back to my room now, before they notice me._

She tiptoed back to her room, and by now, the pain had started to fade. Paulina Murray, her maid, was just coming out of her room, and when she saw her, she let out a quiet scream. With Paulina, everything was quiet, like a mouse.

''Lady Amelia, are you sure you're alright? I'm really very sorry for getting you in trouble. I know you were only trying to help.'' Her voice was just above the level of a normal whisper, and Amelia smiled at her.

''Paulina, would you possibly be able to fetch Papa's lawyer?''

''Frederick Rowe? Yes, why?''

''I heard aunt say Papa left me some money, like Mama told me before she died. I want to find out more. But how can we arrange a visit without my stepfather and aunt finding out?''

''You're visiting Miss Kleinman's tomorrow, aren't you? I could run over to her house and tell her.''

''Really, Paulina? Thank you so much.'' Amelia embraced Paulina lightly, quickly.

Paulina stepped back, and hurried to the back of the house, slipping through the maid's entrance. Miss Kleinman's was only a street away, and she had accompanied Lady Amelia there many times, so she knew the way.

When she had reached there, she knocked upon Miss Kleinman's door, and Miss Kleinman herself opened it.

''Hello, Paulina. Is there anything I can do?''

''Can I come in?'' Paulina requested. ''Lady Amelia has something she wishes you to help her with.''

Miss Kleinman, attired in a pale yellow gown with blue patterning and lace cuffs, beckoned her to come in.

Paulina scurried in, and shut the door fast behind her. ''Lady Amelia wants you to- no, I mean Lady Amelia's coming tomorrow for a visit as planned. She heard her aunt say that her father left Amelia some money, and she wants to talk to her father's lawyer in your house.''

Miss Kleinman nodded. ''I suppose Amelia doesn't want her aunt or stepfather to know, so this is the only way to see the lawyer without both of them knowing.''

''So you have the idea, Miss Kleinman?''

''Tell Amelia she has nothing to worry about.''

Paulina nodded, bid Miss Kleinman good-bye, and returned home, with Miss Kleinman's promise she'd contact the lawyer.

She came into Lady Amelia's room quite out of breath, and told Lady Amelia what she had said to Miss Kleinman, and what Miss Kleinman had told her.

''Thank you so much, Paulina. You're such a good friend.''

Lady Amelia could be so sweet. She herself was only a maid, but Lady Amelia referred to her as friend.

And, she supposed, she could consider Lady Amelia a friend too. Smiling, she gave a quick curtsey, and scurried off to the library to do a bit of dusting.

Amelia's aunt swept in, gowned in black silk with larger then usual bustle and belled, netted sleeves, and her silvery blonde hair swept up in a high braided crown. 

''Amelia Rose de Beauvoir, what are you doing standing there? I'm going to pay a social visit to Lady Mckellen's. You should come with me.''

 _So,_ Amelia thought, _b_ _egins my social life. At least tomorrow it won't be with my aunt attending._

Lady Roberta and Lady September Mckellen were beautiful, like the sun and ice, but they were as social as Amelia was, which wasn't much. Clad in lovely striped polonaises of a similar style, both of patterned silk with belled sleeves and gathered, bustled peplums, showing ruffled, flounced white silk petticoats, but in different colors. Roberta's was an icy blue, and September's a shimmering gold.

''It's lovely to have you here, Lady Amelia.'' Lady Roberta said. She, from what Amelia could see, was the more serious, sensible one, sitting there as if she were posing for a potrait in her icy blue patterned silk and pale blonde hair wound around her head in a braid, without the tight, curled bangs that were in fashion now. (Amelia only knew they were in fashion as she had seen a great deal of women wearing them.)

''It's lovely to be here.'' Amelia replied, sitting with her hands in her lap very demurely. She wore a pretty pale pink dress with pale blue polonaise jacket edged in ribbon knots and a slim bustled skirt, her hair swept into an updo of ringlets with pale pink flowers.

''Would you like some tea?'' Lady September asked cheerily. Bright and sunny, with hair as golden as her personality, she seemed to be the exact opposite of her sister. Amelia gave a tiny, but perceptible nod. Lady September bounced up, took the tea and scones from the maid who had just come in, and set it on the table, in between all of them, her golden curls flowing down to the backs of her thighs, reminiscent of a Pre-Raphaelite painting.

''Your hair's lovely, Lady September. It matches your gown.'' Amelia commented, taking a scone daintily and biting into it, tasting the softness of the cream mixed in and the tang of the currants.

''Oh, thank you, Lady Amelia! Roberta here says it's my best feature. Roberta's best, I think, are her eyes. No one else that we know have such a pretty, unusual shade of blue!''

Amelia glanced at Lady Roberta, and nodded in confirmation. The other girl did have pretty eyes.

''So, do you have something that you like to do?'' Lady September asked, returning to her seat.

Amelia shook her head. ''I-well, I do like embroidery.''

''I do, too.'' Lady Roberta spoke. She was so calm and composed, unlike her cheerful, exuberated sister. Lady September reminded her of her mother, whom she missed dearly.

When the visit ended, she stepped into the carriage and her aunt sat across from her.

''Well, did you like the Mckellen girls?''

''Yes, I did enjoy their company. Perhaps we could visit them again.''

''Good. And tomorrow you have your social visit to Miss Kleinman.''

Yes, Amelia thought. And Papa's lawyer will be there too.

XXX

Paulina was cleaning the window when she saw that Lady Amelia had come home. She hurried downstairs to greet her, still holding her washcloth in her hand.

''You're back, Lady Amelia!'' she said happily, and Amelia smiled. She handed her gloves to Paulina, and headed inside, her pale pink skirts swishing.

Amelia went straight to her room, Paulina following, and pulled the hairpins and fake flowers from her hair, letting the rosy blonde ringlets fall down her back.

''Lady Roberta and Lady September were very nice, and perhaps Adella and I will see them at a ball.'' she announced.

Paulina nodded, and began to unlace Lady Amelia's dress, walking off to the closet, and choosing a green silk dress with ruched sleeves for her to change into.

Amelia stepped out of her dress and jacket, and slid on the green dress, and Paulina hooked it up the back. She then drew back Amelia's ringlets so that they cascaded over her shoulders, pinning them there.

''Thank you, Paulina. Oh, I have something for you.'' She went over to her bed, and reaching under the pillow, pulled out a book of fairy-tales. ''I bought it last week. I thought perhaps we could read together, and you could practice your reading. Keep it hidden. Don't let Aunt or Mr Dent see you with it.'' she handed the book to Paulina.

''Oh, Lady Amelia, I couldn't. You've been kind enough to me.''

''Please, Paulina. I should like you to have it. You're a good, hardworking girl, and I should like to be friends with you, if that's alright.''

''Very well, Lady Amelia. Perhaps you should keep the book here. That way, there's less chance of me being caught with it, and no one will think I stole it.''

Amelia nodded. ''Very well.'' She took the book, and gestured to the bed. ''We could read a little now. I still have a long time left before dinner.''

She sat down, and Paulina sat down besides her. Amelia opened the book to the very first story.

''Who is the author?''

''It's a collection of fairytales. Three books. Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Hans Christian Andersen. This is Hans Christian Andersen's.''

Amelia began to read the Snow Queen out loud, and Paulina read the next paragraph. It was a nice tale, Paulina thought. And on it went till dinner.

''That was nice, Lady Amelia. Thank you. I best get you dressed, so you won't be late.'' And Paulina slipped from the bed to fetch Amelia's dinner dress.


	2. Chapter 2

Amelia absolutely hated dinner with her stepfather and aunt. She never knew if it would end in a cold and chilly goodnight, or if it would end in beatings.

She chose a dress that would hopefully satisfy her aunt, as she was never satisfied with what Amelia wore. A white watered silk that set off her pale hair, sleeves loosely puffed, the neckline and wide skirt edged in blue box-pleated ribbon. She had Paulina arrange her hair into a knot, with curls that fell elegantly over it. '' Thank you.'' she whispered, and she picked up her skirt gracefully to descend the stairs.

Her aunt was waiting for her, gowned in a terribly bright red, the sleeves black net, and with rubies studding the top of the skirt. Her dark blonde hair was woven into an intricate braid coiled into a bun, and she wore a ruby necklace-Amelia's mother's. She had not worn it very much, preferring lighter, daintier things, but it had been hers.

''Well, I suppose that is suitable.'' her aunt sighed. They went into the dining-room, where they sat at the table and another of the maids, Mary, served them a cream of chicken soup.

Amelia picked up her spoon, and dipped it into her soup, swallowing it. The first course went by quickly.

The next was roast beef, cooked perfectly. Her aunt daintily bit into her roast beef, and Amelia followed suit.

Her stepfather did not eat, but instead stared at Amelia intently. When she turned to meet his unrelenting gaze, she asked, ''Why, is there something wrong with me that you stare at me so?''

Her stepfather turned his head away, and began to drink his wine. The he put his glass down. ''It is high time you married, Amelia. You are of the age to do so, after all.'' Oh, now he wanted to show that he cared. Or at least to make her think he cared.

''Who do you have in mind?'' Amelia questioned.

''At the moment, we have no one.'' her stepfather admitted. ''But we shall find someone.''

Her stepfather's eyes normally rested on her aunt, but tonight, they were on her, and Amelia shrunk a bit in her chair, hoping that her posture wouldn't be corrected.

When they had finished the course, they were served the main dish of roasted mutton, mashed potatoes, and peas.

Amelia, as always, took dainty bites of her food, which her aunt nodded approvingly at, but her stepfather insisted on staring.

After dessert, strawberry tarts with Chantilly cream, Amelia rose and bid her stepfather and aunt good-night, kissing them each on the cheek.

Then she picked up her skirt and ascended the stairs, but she soon heard footsteps behind her. She turned, and saw her stepfather. ''Did you want something, or was there something you forgot to tell me?''

Her stepfather said nothing, but instead stepped closer to her. Amelia could smell the wine he had drunk on his breath, and she stepped back from him, knowing very well he was drunk. He tried to pull her to him, but she stepped away and hurried up the stairs, wondering if her aunt had put him up to this. She could hear him following her, but she reached her room, and locked the door behind her.

He pounded at the door for a brief time, but she said nothing so as not to encourage him. Finally the pounding stopped, and she could hear him going down the stairs. She undid her hair, not wanting to trouble Paulina, who had fallen asleep on the floor, poor girl, and unlaced her dress as best she could, leaving her undergarments, and removed her slippers.

Saying her prayers, she then climbed into bed, and fell asleep. In her dreams, she could see her mother laughing and playfully waltzing around to her father's piano playing. How she missed them! She had been the most wonderful thing in their life, she knew.

**XXX**

The next morning, she woke up to Paulina kindling the fire, and an apricot silk dress with lace collar and full skirt laid out on the bed.

''Good morning, Paulina.'' Paulina smiled at her, and Amelia slowly slid out of bed. She tugged the dress over her head, and Paulina buttoned up the back, adjusting it so the lace bertha fell perfectly over her collarbones, and the skirt fell perfectly to the floor.

Her hair fell in rather tousled ringlets, and Paulina arranged them in such a manner that they looked neat and pretty, adorning them with silken ribbons.

''There you are, Lady Amelia. Your stepfather went to bed quite drunk last night. His snores woke me up.'' Paulina said, and Amelia giggled.

The carriage driver waited for her outside, and she stepped into the carriage. It seemed her aunt was sleeping late today, and she certainly didn't intend to leave her visit to Adella after she woke up.

Adella waited for her outside the door, and ran to her as soon as she stepped out.

''Come along, Amelia. Mr Rowe is in the study.''

Amelia complimented Adella on her dress, a very lovely one of lilac silk with elbow sleeves edged in thin lace and full, bustled lace drapery on the back of the skirt.

Her friend's white-blonde hair fell around her shoulders in perfect ringlets, and a gold locket, a gift from her betrothed, Thomas Berkeley, hung around her neck.

Her eyes glowed with a happiness Amelia had yet to feel, and her complexion was rosy.

Amelia followed Adella into her house, and into Mr Kleinman's study, where Mr Fredrick Rowe waited, hands clasped behind his back.

''Lady Amelia, a pleasure to meet you. For what purposes have I been called here?''

''Shall I have cook make a cup of tea?'' Adella suggested, and Mr Rowe nodded.

''Yes, that would be fine.'' Adella summoned a maid to have the cook make a cup of tea, and Amelia turned to Mr Rowe.

''Now, your friend said you wished to consult me on a legal matter.''

''I wish to know if I have an account at the bank-if Papa left me one.''

''Oh, indeed, you do!'' Mr Rowe said. ''Your father left you a great deal of money.''

Amelia sat down, all of a sudden. ''He did?'' She had not thought that it might be true. That any of it might be left-

''Lady Amelia, you-''

''I didn't know.''

Mr Rowe looked surprised that Amelia didn't know. ''I would have thought he told you, on his deathbed, perhaps.''

''No, he never did.''

''Your money was placed into an account for you to do as you wished, and still, you never touched it. For five years.''

''My aunt and stepfather never told me.'' Amelia said.

The maid came into the room with a platter holding the tea, and placed it on the desk. Adella sat down on a settee.

When the maid left, Mr Rowe continued, ''I beg your pardon, Lady Amelia, but what do you mean by aunt?''

''My father's sister.''

''Your father was an only child, and as for your mother, I don't know about her. When did she arrive?''

''After my mother's death, three years ago. She said that she and Papa had been estranged.''

''The woman that calls herself your aunt is an imposter, as you have no aunt that I am aware of-or uncle. You are the heir to your family, and unless you do not marry, your line will die out. I would advise that you start considering a suitable husband.''


End file.
